Cosmetics brand sees beauty of virtual showroom

Specialty cosmetics brand Ardell is easing the process of selecting makeup without trying it on – at least in the physical sense.

Ardell is interactively featuring its false eyelash products in the YouCam Makeup app. Consumers can now virtually browse and try on a variety of eyelash styles. In addition to exploring the app’s virtual showroom, users can leverage the app’s live Makeup Cam feature, which uses facial recognition software to digitally recreate their facial features and “try on” different lash styles.

Customers can then directly connect to Ardell retail partners from the app to make purchases.

“As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, and we believe that to be very true when it comes to choosing lashes,” said Terri Cooper, executive VP at Ardell parent company American International Industries. “By partnering with YouCam Makeup, consumers can now virtually ‘try on’ lashes, ensuring they love the look before they buy. Visually, it removes the question of if this lash will look good on them, taking the consumer directly from inspiration to gratification.”

For consumers who have a featured profile in the Beauty Circle social network operated by YouCam provider Perfect Corp., Ardell will also deliver lashes, beauty tutorials, and giveaways. Ardell and Perfect Corp. are also hosting an online “Look Before You Lash” contest in which users are invited to try out the new lash styles in the app and submit their favorite virtual = look in Beauty Circle. At the conclusion of this giveaway, 250 contest entrants will be awarded a prize.

Relying extensively on highly personalized consumer attributes such as skin tone and facial features, cosmetics are a difficult product to sell online. The advent of technologies such as virtual reality and facial recognition provide new opportunity to retailers and brands for online cosmetics sales. The innately personal nature of mobile devices can also add intimacy to the digital cosmetics customer experience.